Saturday, November 27, 2010

Cranberry Nut Bread

2 c sifted all purpose flour
1 c sugar
1 ½ tsp baking powder
½ tsp soda
1 tsp salt
1 egg, well beaten
fresh juice and rind of one orange (or 3/4 c juice and 1 Tbsp orange rind*)
2 Tbsp melted shortening (see option below)
1 ½ c. halved cranberries (I chop them in the food processor)
½ c chopped pecans
1 tsp cinnamon or nutmeg

To the juice and melted shortening, add enough water to make 3/4 cup of liquid. Combine all and cook in well-buttered loaf pan at 350 degrees for 60 minutes.

*If using orange juice and bottled orange rind, don’t melt shortening. Put all in mixed dry ingredients.

Lynne Bell

~~I tried it this time using applesauce instead of the shortening (I hate to waste a whole can of that stuff for a mere 2 Tbsp!). Worked fine.

Friday, November 26, 2010

Crisp Toffee Bars

Cream together well:

½ c butter
½ c brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Add:
1 c flour
½ c chocolate chips
½ c chopped nuts

Press into 8x8 pan. Bake at 350 25 minutes. Cut into bars while warm.

Margaret Haley Bell

~~Mom said that during the Civil War, there was a scarcity of eggs, so ladies developed recipes that did not include eggs. This is a dessert that she frequently made.

Apple Crisp

Spread in 8x8 pan:
1 can sliced apples, apple pie slices or 5-6 medium apples. Sprinkle with 1 Tbsp lemon juice; 1/4 c sugar; ½ tsp cinnamon; 1/4 tsp nutmeg

Cover with topping of (mix together):
1/2 c melted butter
1/2 - 3/4 c brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c flour
3/4 c quick rolled oats

Bake till brown. Good topped with vanilla ice cream.

Margaret Haley Bell

~~Fond memories of Mom and of her apple crisp...S.

Apple Pie

6-8 servings

Crust:
2 c all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 c shortening (slightly less)
1/4 c water - add a little of salt and flour mixture to the water

Roll out on floured waxed paper, making a bottom and lattice work for top of pie.

3 lbs apples (or a little less), peeled, cored, and thinly sliced
1 c white sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
lemon juice
little bit of flour

Mix, and place apples on crust, then place lattice work on top of apples.

Brush 1 Tbsp cream or butter on top of lattice work and sprinkle with sugar slightly. Bake at 450 for 10 minutes, and then 350 till brown (about 1 hr, plus-minus).

Faye Tieche

~~This is the best pie in the whole wide world! Faye was a dietician, and a fabulous cook. Dick started working for her in the middle school lunchroom so that he could get out of study hall. A lasting friendship grew. Dick took me to meet Faye when I was newly pregnant with Haley. All our children adopted and loved "Aunt Faye."

Mae's Sour Cream Pound Cake

2 sticks butter, softened
3 c sugar
6 eggs, separated
½ pint sour cream
3 cups plain flour
1/4 tsp soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp Superior Vanilla, Butter and Nut Flavor

Cream butter and sugar well. Add egg yolks, one at a time. Add sour cream, then flour that has the soda and salt mixed in, and flavoring. Beat egg whites, then fold into flour mixture. Place in sprayed tube pan; sprinkle nutmeg on top of mixture. Cook 1 ½ hours at 300°.

Mae Mobley McKinnon

Seriously good, but you do need the special flavoring...S.

Frost on the Pumpkin Pie

Serves 8

Crust:
1 ½ c crushed ginger snaps or graham crackers
1/4 c melted butter
½ c powdered sugar

Mix crushed ginger snaps, butter and powdered sugar. Press into 10" pie plate. Bake at 325 for 10 minutes.

1c whipped cream
1 1/4 c sifted powdered sugar
½ tsp ground cinnamon
½ tsp vanilla

Whip cream until it peaks. Add 1 1/4 c sifted powdered sugar, ½ tsp cinnamon, ½ tsp vanilla. Beat till stiff peaks form, and chill till ready to use.

Pumpkin mixture:
3 egg yolks, reserving egg whites
1/3 c sugar
1 1/4 c cooked, mashed pumpkin
½ c milk
½ tsp each: salt, ground allspice, ginger, nutmeg, and cinnamon
1 Tbsp unflavored gelatin
1/4 c cold water
3 egg whites
1/4 c powdered sugar

Beat egg yolks; add sugar, pumpkin, milk, salt and spices. Mix well and cook over medium heat until it boils. Cook 2 minutes longer, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and add gelatin, which has been dissolved in cold water. Cool.

Beat egg whites till stiff; fold in 1/4 c powdered sugar. Fold into cooled pumpkin mixture.

Fill crust with layer of pumpkin mixture, a layer of one-half of the whipped cream (reserving the other half till later), then another layer of pumpkin. Chill 2 hours.

Before serving, top with remaining whipped cream.

Mae Mobley McKinnon

~~I don't usually post recipes until I have actually fixed it myself, but this is one Mother made several years ago that is really good to this gal who is not much on pumpkin pie. I think I would try it with canned pumpkin...Sandy B

Tuesday, November 23, 2010

Spaghetti Carbonara

I use Barilla linguine, but you can use spaghetti (thin spaghetti or angel hair does not work)

1 lb bacon (this is for 4)
shredded Parmesan - do not use powdered
eggs
salt and pepper
heavy cream

Slice up bacon and fry.

Boil linguine or spaghetti.

While this is boiling, lightly beat eggs. Use one less egg than number of servings you are preparing: 4 servings, 3 eggs...

Drain noodles and put in large bowl. Add in beaten eggs, bacon, Parmesan, and mix. The heat from the pasta cooks the eggs. Add salt, and grind pepper over mix. Add tsp or so of pasta water and shot of cream and toss again...

Done and delicious!
(from DQ)

Monday, November 22, 2010

Glazed Carrots and Parsnips

Glazed Carrots and Parsnips


1 ½ lbs carrots
1 lb parsnips
1 c water
½ tsp salt
4 Tbsp unsalted butter
½ c firmly packed brown sugar
3 Tbsp Madeira wine
½ tsp finely grated fresh ginger, fresh mint, parsley or sage, chopped or whole sprigs, for garnish

(These two vegetables complement each other nicely. They can be prepared in advance up to the point to glazing. Additional carrots may be substituted for the parsnips.)

Peel the carrots and parsnips. Cut into 3" lengths. Slice each piece in half lengthwise and slice the thick upper portions into quarters lengthwise, so the pieces are of equal size for cooking. Put them into a saucepan with the water, salt and 2 Tbsp of the butter. Cover tightly and simmer very gently over low heat until just tender, 10-15 minutes. Drain and set aside.

In a sautè pan or frying pan over medium heat, melt the remaining 2 Tbsp. butter. Add the sugar, wine, and ginger. Cook while stirring, until the sugar dissolves. Reduce the heat and continue to cook until reduced and thickened, 2-3 minutes. Add the carrots and parsnips and toss until well coated. Cook until the vegetables are heated through, 2-3 minutes. Transfer to a serving dish; garnish with mint, parsley or sage.

Crowd pleaser. This is a standard side dish at Thanksgiving in the Bell household!

Marinated Roma Tomatoes


Marinated Roma Tomatoes

Mix everything together and marinate overnight in a glass container (not plastic). Add chopped scallions to the top when served.

20 plum tomatoes, quartered lengthwise
5 jalapeno peppers, seeds removed, chopped fine
3/4 c white vinegar
3/4 c olive oil
1/4 c light brown sugar
1 tsp fresh ginger, or powdered
1 Tbs mustard seeds
1 Tbs black pepper
1 Tbs salt
1 tsp turmeric
2 Tbs chopped garlic
1 Tbs cumin

Fantastic stuff!!!

Sunday, November 21, 2010

Christmas Morning Strata

1 lb. sausage
8 eggs
10 slices of bread, cubed
3 c. milk
2 c. shredded Cheddar cheese
2 c. sliced fresh mushrooms
10-oz. pkg. frozen cut asparagus,thawed and drained
2 Tbsp. butter or margarine, melted
2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour
1 Tbsp. dry mustard
2 tsp. dried basil
1 tsp. salt

Begin the night before Christmas. Crumble sausage into large skillet. Cook over medium heat until browned, stirring occasionally. Drain off any drippings. Whisk eggs in a large bowl. Add sausage and remaining ingredients; mix well. Spoon into a greased 13x9 baking dish. Cover; refrigerate 8 hours or overnight. Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake 60-70 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting into squares; serve hot. Makes 10-12 servings.

Red Beans & Rice

Red Beans and Rice
by Haley Dyer
(I adapted this recipe of the New Orleans classic to make it healthier. We love it on cold nights and anytime we feed a crowd. You can find Creole or Cajun seasoning in the spice section of your supermarket. I cook the rice while cooking the bean mixture. Serve with crusty French bread or garlic bread
for a hearty one-dish meal.)
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 lb. fully cooked smoked sausage (such
as hot links or kielbasa), sliced into
½"-thick rounds)
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
3 14½- to 16-ounce cans kidney beans
1 14½-ounce can low-salt, low-fat
chicken broth
1½ to 2 tsp. Creole or Cajun seasoning
or ½ tsp. cayenne pepper
1 pkg. frozen chopped spinach, thawed
and drained
3 cups cooked rice
Heat olive oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add sausage, onion, and garlic and sauté until onion is brown, about 15 minutes. Mix in the kidney beans with their juices, broth, and Creole seasoning. Reduce heat to medium-low; cover and simmer. After 30 minutes, add in the thawed spinach. Cover and continue simmering, stirring occasionally, until flavors are blended and mixture is thick (approximately 15 more minutes).
Divide cooked rice among large shallow soup bowls. Spoon bean mixture over rice and serve.
Serves 6-8

Corn Casserole

Easy Baked Corn (Beta Sigma Phi recipe)
2 8-oz. pkgs corn bread muffin mix
1 17-oz. can cream-style corn
1 16-oz. can whole kernal corn, drained
4 eggs, beaten
1 c. melted margarine
2 c. sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Spoon into greased 9"x13" baking dish. Bake for 1 hr. or until knife inserted in center comes out clean. Yield: 12 servings.

Corn Casserole (Beta Sigma Phi recipe)
1 17-oz. can cream-style corn
1 12-oz. can niblet corn
2 eggs, beaten
½ c. melted margarine
1 8-oz. pkg corn bread muffin mix
1 c. sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in large bowl; mix well. Spoon into 9"x13" baking dish. Bake for 45 min. Yield: 12 servings.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Fish Chowder

6-8 servings

1 Tbsp EVOO
5 slices bacon, chopped
1 small yellow onion, chopped
2 celery ribs and their greens, finely chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
2 garlic cloves, chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbsp flour
2 small baking potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced
1 qt. chicken stock or broth
1 c heavy cream or half and half
1 8-o. bottle clam juice
2 lbs. lean, flaky fish (cod, haddock, halibut, monkfish, or Tilapia,skinned and cut into 1-2" pieces
Hot sauce to taste
3 Tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped (optional)
3 Tbsp basil

Heat a large soup pot over medium-high heat with the EVOO. Add the bacon and cook until crisp, about 3 minutes. Remove the crispy bacon to a plate lined with paper towels and reserve.

Add the onion, celery, thyme sprigs, basil, garlic, and S&P to the pot, and cook for about 3 minutes, mixing it every now and then. Add the flour to the vegetables, stirring to distribute, and cook for 1 minute. Add the thinly sliced potato, then whisk in the chicken stock, heavy cream, and clam juice. Bring the mixture up to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.

Add the fish and continue to gently simmer for 5 minutes. Turn the heat down a little if the pot is boiling rather than simmering. Add the desired amount of hot sauce and taste for seasoning; add more S&P accordingly.

To serve, carefully ladle the soup into bowls, trying not to break up the fish too much. Garnish each bowl with a little of the reserved crispy bacon and some chopped parsley. Serve the soup alongside a simple mixed green salad.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Tortellini Tuscan Soup



Tortellini Tuscan Stew

1(2 lb) butternut squash, peeled and seeded, cut into 1" chunks
1 large zucchini cut in 1" chunks
1 large yellow summer squash, cut in 1" chunks
1 large onion, diced
1 large red bell pepper, cut in 1" dice (I did not use)
4 oz thin green beans, trimmed and cut in 2" lengths
1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14 ½ oz can chicken or vegetable broth
2 Tbs fresh oregano chopped
1 ½ tsp chopped garlic
3/4 tsp salt
1 9 oz pkg fresh cheese tortellini
1 5 oz bag baby spinach
3 Tbs grated Parmesan cheese (I used more)

Combine all ingredients, except tortellini, spinach, and Parmesan cheese, in a 5 quart or larger slow cooker. Cover and cook on high 3 hours, or low 6 hours.

Uncover; turn slow cooker to high and stir in tortellini. Cover; continue to cook 15 minutes, or until pasta is almost tender.

Uncover; gently stir in spinach and Parmesan. Cover; cook 5 minutes until spinach is cooked down and tortellini is tender.

6 servings

Taco Soup

Taco Soup

2 cans each (undrained):
kidney beans, white beans, black beans, pinto beans

1 large can each:
whole corn, tomato sauce, water from the tomato sauce can, chopped tomatoes

1 lb. ground beef or turkey browned
1 large onion, chopped
1 pkg. Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing powder
1 pkg. Taco Seasoning powder

Dump ingredients into a pot and simmer until everyone is ready to eat!
Makes 25 or so servings.

Thursday, November 11, 2010

Baked Chicken with Rice

1 c. rice 
1 c. water 
1 tsp. salt (divided) 
1/2 tsp. pepper (divided) 
1-1/2 c. milk 
1 (10 oz.) can cream of mushroom soup [original reciie called for cr. of chicken] 
4 to 6 boneless skinless chicken breasts [or use bone-in] 

Combine everything except the chicken, adding about half of the spices and reserving the other half. Spread over the bottom of a greased 9"x13" baking dish. Arrange chicken over the rice. Sprinkle remaining spices over chicken and rice. Cover with foil and bake at 350 deg. for 1-1/2 hours or until chicken is cooked through.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

BBQ Baby Back Ribs - slow cooker

BBQ Baby Back Ribs

2 racks baby back ribs - about 4 ½ lbs
1 ½ Tbsp pepper
2 ½ c BBQ sauce
3/4 c cherry preserves (editor note: maybe, maybe not)
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
1 garlic clove, minced

Cut ribs into serving size pieces. Sprinkle with pepper. Place in slow cooker. Combine rest of ingredients; pour over ribs. Cook on low 8-10 hours.

From Lois M.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Ma Tucker's Scalloped Tomatoes

Ma Tucker's Scalloped Tomatoes


1 gallon tomatoes
1 c chopped onion
3 qt toasted bread crumbs
1 c brown sugar
1 stick butter

Boil tomatoes and onion; add bread and cook about 3 minutes. Pour into casserole dish and bake @ 350 for 30 minutes. Add a little more butter on top before baking.

Serves a crowd!

Scalloped Tomatoes

Scalloped Tomatoes

4 Tbsp butter
4 slices white toast
½ tsp garlic salt
2 ½ c cooked tomatoes
1 tsp grated onion
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Spread 2 Tbsp butter over toast, sprinkle with garlic salt, and cut into cubes. Combine tomatoes, onion, S&P. Place cubes in a greased 1 ½ qt. casserole, and add tomato mixture. Pour remaining melted butter over top. Bake @ 375 degrees for 20 minutes.

Yield: 6 servings

Saturday, November 6, 2010

Corn in Husk - convection oven

Corn on the Cob in husk

Convection Oven


Cut off both ends of corn; remove 1 or 2 layers of husks; wrap in paper towel.

Sharp Convection Oven:
1) Place corn on carousel tray
2) Press Sensor Cook
3) Press 4 for Fresh Vegetables-Hard
4) Press Start/Touch On

When corn is cooked, remove from oven, brush butter mixture on corn, and salt lightly to taste.

1/4 c butter, melted
1/4 c grated Parmesan Cheese
½ t Italian seasoning
4 ears corn on the cob

Or:
Remove husks/silks; place in shallow m/w safe dish. Add 1/4 c water. Cover and m/w on high for 10-13 minutes, turning once. Let stand for 5 minutes; drain.

Or:
Remove husks/silks; place in zip lock bag leaving a minimum of 1" opening.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

Gourmet Chicken Spaghetti

Gourmet Chicken Spaghetti

3 pounds chicken
8 oz thin spaghetti
4 Tbsp butter
4 Tbsp flour
1 c cream
1 c chicken broth
1 c mayonnaise
1 c sour cream
1 c Parmesan cheese
1/8 c lemon juice
1/3 c white wine
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp cayenne
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
8 oz fresh mushrooms
4 Tbsp butter

Boil and bone chicken, reserving chicken stock. Break spaghetti into thirds and boil in chicken stock. Set aside.

Make basic white sauce: melt butter; add flour and cook until bubbly. Add cream and chicken broth, stirring and cooking until thickened. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, Parmesan, lemon juice, wine, and seasonings.

Sautè mushrooms in butter.

Place mushrooms, chicken and spaghetti in flat 3 qt. casserole. Add sauce, and mix well. Sprinkle paprika and additional Parmesan on top. Bake at 350o for 30-40 minutes. May be made ahead of time and frozen.

Serves 8-10

Monday, November 1, 2010

Easy Brunswick Stew

Easy Brunswick Stew

1 can Castleberry Brunswick Stew
1 can Castleberry BBQ pork
1 can Castleberry BBQ beef
1 can cream style corn, or whole corn (drained)
1 can lima beans or peas, drained
1 T Worcestershire sauce
Juice of one lemon
1/4 cup hot BBQ sauce
1 can stewed tomatoes, drained and chopped

Cook until hot, about 20 minutes, on stove top, or as long as needed in crock pot. Enjoy!

Tortellini Soup

Tortellini Soup

1 lb Italian Sausage (with the casings taken off)
1 cup chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, sliced
1 tsp oregano
½ tsp basil
1 Tbsp dried parsley
½ cup water
½ cup red wine
5 cups of beef broth
2 cups chopped, peeled tomato
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
1 ½ cup sliced zucchini
1 med green pepper, chopped
8 oz tortellini

In a large kettle, brown meat, onion, garlic. Drain. Combine rest of ingredients. Simmer until vegetables are tender. Top with grated Parmesan cheese when serving.

Serve along with hot bread, and a wonderful dessert. This is a large volume recipe (from the Olive Garden).